As a Naval Officer, Ted Burk was recognized as a talented fighter pilot and innovative problem solver.
As a TOPGUN graduate, he identified cultural gaps and built bridges between warfighters and engineers – optimizing performance in both weapons and tactics.
As a Strategic Communications leader, he developed narrative strategies and storytelling campaigns for the United States Navy’s advance capabilities and emerging technologies.
Today, Ted Burk brings his unique insights to the stage as a speaker.
In his presentation, “A Fighter Pilot Story: Insights on High-Performance”, he shares vivid, engaging stories from the cockpit that provide a glimpse into the high-octane world of naval aviation. He integrates stories with pictures and videos to bring the audience into the pressure and intensity of a flight deck at sea. He unpacks the complexity and teamwork that often goes unnoticed behind launching fighter jets from an aircraft carrier. He explains the thrill and nerve-racking task of landing a 23,000 kilo aircraft, flying at speeds of 250 km/h on a moving runway less than 140 meters long. With these stories as a back-drop, Ted reveals three critical characteristics of high-performance individuals and teams.
In his presentation, “Corporate Communication: Storytelling & Narrative Strategies”, Ted shares lessons learned from halls of power inside the Pentagon – head-quarters and nerve-center of the American Military. He explains the challenges facing all corporate communications and highlights mistakes that prevent companies from optimizing team-performance and achieving corporate goals. This lecture is a fascinating dive into the power of storytelling, the criticality of narrative strategies…and the role of human nature to sabotage our best efforts.
Whether delivering a keynote address or advising a team on narrative strategy, his passion to inspire and develop a culture of high-performance is infectious.
